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Here is a great use of some old telegraph insulators to make some very nice looking DIY Landscaping Lights. The lights were found at a garage sale so it is nice to see the units getting a second life. Thanks H.P. "For each lamp, I began with piece of single-sided copper-clad fiberglass board, measuring roughly 3 and 3/8 inches long by 7/8 inches wide. Using a small ball rasp and my Dremel ™ tool, I divided the copper on the board into little squares or pads to which I soldered the various components. Some parts were installed on the side of the board with the pads. Others parts were installed on the opposite side of the board, making it necessary to drill tiny holes through which component leads could be threaded." |
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June 6th, 2009
I would have designed it to use 12VDC and used a solar panel + 12v battery to power them. That’s that me thou.
June 7th, 2009
[...] Originally posted here: DIY Landscaping Lights – Hacked Gadgets – DIY Tech Blog [...]
June 7th, 2009
I love these diy light`s . How can I get my hands on these.
June 7th, 2009
@Mike – you would make them!
June 7th, 2009
@EllisGL – I’m planning on doing just that with a 24watt panel I’ve hooked up to a 70Ah battery, currently I’ve only got a few LED strings powered from it for temporary outside lighting which is controlled by a 12v garage remote system.
The plan is to get the cheapest (but still looking good) outside lights and put clusters of up to 50 white LEDs in each (bought a bag of 1000 earlier this year), then connect them up to a PICAXE 08M along with a couple of 5v motion sensors I got dirt cheap, programmed so when it gets dark the lights glow dimly but trigger one of the sensors and they smoothly go to full brightness for 5 minutes or so and then smoothly go back to dim.
June 8th, 2009
These lamps will work fine on either AC or DC. In fact, because they have a built-in rectifier bridge, in a DC system, you wouldn’t have to worry about polarity. Just hook up the wires without regard to plus and minus, and go.
Powering these lamps with a solar panel and battery is a neat idea, and something I considered. However, don’t assume that going that path is “greener” than running off the mains.
There is a substantial carbon footprint associated with the manufacture of solar panels, batteries, and charge-control electronics. In fact, I’d be surprised if a small panel *ever* produced enough energy to offset the energy consumed in manufacturing it.
And, unless you get your panel, batteries, and other materials for dirt cheap, the low power consumption of the lamps I describe means that it will probably be many years (if ever) before you break even on your investment.
Powering the lamps with solar panels is a great idea if mains power is not available, or if installing the necessary feed is impractical because of existing landscape features.
# EllisGL Says:
# I would have designed it to use 12VDC and used a solar panel
# + 12v battery to power them. That’s that me thou.
June 10th, 2009
@ac7zl You do have a point on the carbon footprint and the break even points. I also keep forgetting that you can run DC though a bridge rectifier. I’m wondering what has become of this solar technology: http://www.microcontinuum.com/solar.htm
February 10th, 2010
Only one question where is the project info on how to build my own? I´d like to make one, but since electronics are just a hobby, i´m havving some trouble using leds with AC, and i´d like to know what components you used, how you made the rectifier bridge, well everything actually.
Maybe you could send it to my e-mail?
tia,
Alex
February 11th, 2010
Hi Alex,
There is a link in the article with more information.